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“We have so many Americans who think that the American dream is not for them, but it is for them. And I think the president wants them to know that for sure. But he is never going to convince them of that by telling them that. But by showing them, eventually they will open their eyes and they will not be able to deny what they are seeing.”

The speaker is one that is familiar to manufactured housing professionals. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Ben Carson (M.D.), leads the federal agency that has primary responsibility for the regulation of our industry.

The video raises some important questions. Among them is the American Dream.

Carson Flashback…

Secretary Carson addressed a thousand or more manufactured home professionals last year in person, and thanked the industry for doing its part to support the American Dream.

But the Fox Business video interview also addressed the question that is bandied about quite often. Is the 45th president, as many accuse him of being, a racist?

Carson said he hasn’t “seen any evidence of it [racism] whatsoever.”

Secretary Carson reminisced about an appearance decades ago by then businessman Donald J. Trump on the Oprah Winfrey Show. What isn’t mentioned is that for decades, blacks like Winfrey had no such concerns – or made no such allegations of racism against Mr. Trump.

It took a political campaign to spark those charges.

Why did the president run? Why does he do it? Carson answer is simple. “He [POTUS Trump] does it because he loves our country and he wants it to be successful,” Carson said. The president’s philosophy – per Carson – is that “the rising tide raises all boats.”

“It detracts from their argument that capitalism is horrible. That we are a horrible country. That we treat minorities the wrong way, we are racist,” the HUD Secretary said. With wry, dry wit he said, “I guess that’s why there are caravans of minorities trying to get in here.”

When millions see photos or videos of African Americans such as Kanye West or Tiger Woods with President Trump, surely many realize, and some wonder – would they be hanging out with him if they thought he was racist? Don’t they know him better than those who only watch on TV or read about him?

One of the oldest tricks is that of the often repeated lie. Tell a fable often enough, and it seems more believable.

Carson spoke about opportunity zones too. The good thing about them is that investors aren’t just here today, and then gone tomorrow. “Here today, here to stay” – with opportunities that lift the boats of people who may have had little hope for good, honest work in the absence of specific community investments.

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“FHA is in good hands, guarding against excessive risks, protecting the American taxpayer, and remaining true to our core mission to facilitate safe and affordable mortgage options for qualified borrowers.”

– HUD Secretary Ben Carson, M.D.

“As we look to the future, FHA must continue to seek the right balance between facilitating access to mortgage credit and managing risk.”

So, today’s report from HUD and the FHA program they control to Congress is of general interest.

The Daily Business News on MHProNews reached out to a manager in the manufactured home lending community to get some insights on aspects of what follows.

Here’s what that veteran of FHA lending, from a firm that does both forward and ‘reverse’ loans, said via a message to MHProNews.

“As for the business, the current quality of this post-Sept 2015 block of business is insanely awesome. Tony Soprano couldn’t make this much $$. The ills of the HECM business stem from the 05-2010 block of business combined with HUD incompetence in REO disposition. Once we get out of that (as we will in a few years) the business is extremely profitable.

That said, there is a shift to more private business (about 10-20% of overall production in 2019) that will continue as FHA keeps tinkering with the product.”

With that backdrop, let’s dive into today’s formal statement from HUD to MHProNews.

WASHINGTON – The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today released its 2018 Annual Report to Congress on the economic condition of the agency’s Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund (MMI Fund). FHA reports that at the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, the MMI Fund had a total Economic Net Worth of $34.8 billion and a Capital Reserve Ratio that remains above the statutory minimum for a fourth consecutive year.

The MMI Fund supports FHA’s single-family mortgage insurance programs, including all forward mortgage purchase and refinance transactions, as well as mortgages insured under the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), or reverse mortgage program. While the value of FHA’s forward mortgage portfolio is growing, the latest independent actuarial report finds the value of the agency’s reverse mortgage portfolio continues to decline, representing a continuing economic drain on the MMI Fund from books of business in 2018 and earlier.

“The financial health of FHA’s single-family insurance fund is sound,” said U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. “FHA is in good hands, guarding against excessive risks, protecting the American taxpayer, and remaining true to our core mission to facilitate safe and affordable mortgage options for qualified borrowers.”

FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery added, “As we look to the future, FHA must continue to seek the right balance between facilitating access to mortgage credit and managing risk. Our number one mission is to make certain FHA remains a stable and reliable resource for first-time and minority homebuyers, and other underserved borrowers.”

This year’s report continues to offer greater transparency, consistency and accountability in the economic fundamentals of the MMI Fund. For the second consecutive year, FHA is providing separate stand-alone capital ratios for its forward and reverse mortgage portfolios to better assess the impact of each on the MMI Fund. For a second year, the report also includes stress-testing of the portfolio based on historical scenarios.

FHA’s 2018 Annual Report also includes important technical revisions to last year’s report that reflect adjustments to the MMI Fund’s Capital Ratio and Economic Net Worth for FY 2017.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM FHA’S 2018 ANNUAL REPORT

The MMI Fund’s FY 2018 Capital Ratio is 2.76 percent, a 0.58 percentage point increase over the restated FY 2017 Capital Ratio of 2.18 percent. This is the fourth consecutive year this ratio exceeded the statutory minimum of 2.00 percent.

The MMI Fund’s overall Economic Net Worth for FY 2018 is $34.86 billion, an increase of over 8 billion from FY 2017. Economic Net Worth is comprised of Total Capital Resources of $49.24 billion and a negative Cash Flow NPV of -$14.38 billion.

The average loan amount of FHA-insured forward mortgages was $206,041.

The average borrower’s credit score was 670 compared to 676 in FY 2017.

FHA’S HISTORICAL CAPITAL RESERVE RATIO

FHA maintains reserves to cover both future claims, as well as an additional statutorily required capital cushion of 2.0 percent of all Insurance-in-Force (IFF). This ‘Capital Ratio’ is calculated by dividing the Fund’s Economic Net Worth ($34.8 billion in FY 2018) by total IFF of $1.26 trillion. As noted above, the FY 2018 Capital Ratio of the Fund is 2.76 percent, an increase from the end of FY 2017.

MMI Fund Capital Ratios: FY 2013 – FY 2018

This year’s Annual Report includes an examination of loan performance of FHA-insured homeowners impacted by last year’s devastating hurricanes, analyzing the serious delinquency rate and early payment defaults among borrowers in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

HECM HIGHLIGHTS

FHA’s HECM, or reverse mortgage, program continues to serve eligible seniors, 62 years and older, with a financing option that can help them remain in their home and age in place. Like last year, the 2018 Annual Report includes separate, stand-alone estimates of the capital resources and capital ratios for insured forward mortgages and HECMs.

The fiscal condition of FHA’s forward mortgage portfolio is materially better than the HECM portfolio. Excluding HECMs, FHA’s FY 2018 forward mortgages have a capital ratio of 3.93 percent and a positive Economic Net Worth of $46.8 billion. By contrast, the 2018 HECM portfolio has a negative capital ratio of 18.83 percent and a negative economic net worth of $13.63 billion.

In 2017, FHA implemented a set of changes to mortgage insurance premiums and Principal Limit Factors (PLFs) and followed in FY 2018 with changes to appraisal requirements. The impact of these changes on new HECM endorsements, and the ongoing performance of the outstanding HECM portfolio, will continue to be closely monitored and managed by FHA.

The 2018 Annual Report finds:

HECM endorsements declined 12.6 percent since last year, with 48,327 new mortgages endorsed.

Total Capital Resources in the HECM portfolio totaled $2.11 billion for FY 2018, which was offset by a negative $15.75 billion in Cash Flow Net Present Value.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson announced Monday that “he is approving a disaster recovery plan to help Texans recover from Hurricane Harvey.”

“The Texas plan is funded through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant—Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program which requires grantees to develop a thoughtful recovery program informed by local residents,” the release to the Daily Business News said.

“The Trump Administration is committed to helping Texans impacted by Harvey to rebuild their homes and their lives,” said Secretary Carson. “As the State now turns to the long-term recovery of its communities, Texans can be sure that HUD will be there to help in any way we can to make the state whole again.”

HUD Disaster Recovery Video in English

HUD Disaster Recovery Video in Spanish

An extended quote from the HUD statement is found below.

To address remaining needs in hard-hit areas of the state, the Texas recovery plan includes:

Single-Family Homeowner Assistance Program ($1.1 billion):Provides assistance to help homeowners with rehabilitation and reconstruction after Hurricane Harvey.

Buyouts and Acquisitions ($275 million):To allow certain eligible homeowners to sell their damaged home to a local government.

Homeowner Reimbursement ($100 million):Homeowners may be reimbursed up to $50,000 for certain out-of-pocket expenses incurred for home repairs, including reconstruction, rehabilitation or mitigation.

Partial Repair and Essential Power for Sheltering ($73 million):Provides immediate, temporary repairs to homes that sustained less than $17,000 in FEMA-verified loss. CDBG-DR will be used as matching funds to FEMA expenditures.

Local Infrastructure ($413 million): Supports infrastructure repairs and enhancements for local communities as part of a comprehensive long-term recovery program along with FEMA funding.

Economic Revitalization ($100 million):Offers interim assistance up to $250,000 to small businesses in exchange for job creation or retention.

Local, Regional and State Planning ($137 million):The State will fund planning studies on disaster mitigation in the impacted areas to promote sound long-term recovery.

Allocations to City of Houston and Harris County ($2.2 billion): The State of Texas will provide $1.1 billion each to the City of Houston and Harris County, allowing these jurisdictions to address their unmet recovery needs. Plans for use of these funds will be submitted by the city and county to the State for approval.

State Administration ($251 million): Funding set aside for the State’s program costs, including contract administration, compliance monitoring, the provision of technical assistance to applicants and subrecipients, etc.

“Last April, HUD also allocated an additional $4.726 billion of CDBG-DR funding to Texas for unmet need and mitigation purposes. HUD will shortly issue requirements governing those funds, and Texas, along with other states, will be required to submit plans addressing the use of those funds,” HUD’s statement to MHProNews concluded.

While the hurricanes of last year are largely out of the headlines, the aftermaths of the storms – particularly Puerto Rico – are still being dealt with, as this release suggests. To learn more, see the related reports, linked below. ## (News, analysis, and commentary.)

“You are entrepreneurs in the best tradition of the free enterprise system.”
~ The President of the United States to the MH Industry

The U.S. President began his talk with these words, “There are problems in the economy and in the mobile home industry. I am not so naïve as to deny that. I am in the business of looking for problems – and solutions. I am a problem solver and an optimist. I am optimistic about the future of the economy and the future of the mobile home industry. My optimism stems from the belief that our problems – and that is the first step toward solving them. To recognize problems is constructive. To become obsessed with them is destructive.”

Imagine how motivated about a thousand manufactured home (MH) industry professionals were to hear what HUD Secretary Ben Carson had to say at MHI’s last planned meeting in Las Vegas earlier this year.

Composite of images from HUD Secretary Carson, Twitter.

Then picture a time in the MH Industry when the President of the United States was happy to speak to the industry, and the industry was happy to hear in person from the Chief Executive of the U.S.

Rearview mirrors are not as important as the windshield, but they are necessary for safety, insight, learning, and growth. Driving would be far more dangerous without side-and-rear-view mirrors. The same principle is true for investing, to operate or expand a businesses, and for savvy politicos. Everyone that buys a business or a property does due diligence to see what the past performance looked like. Its hard to find a business that doesn’t check the background – the history – of a job applicant. History matters.

The opening words above, and what follows below, are from then-President Gerald R. Ford, in a speech given to the “Mobile Home Manufacturers Association” dated March 22, 1973. The original notes are from the Ford Presidential Library. All of those notes are found at the end of this report as a download.

“The best way to solve problems is to concentrate on our strengths. And if you look at the economy and at your own industry you see many strengths, many reasons for confidence,” said Ford’s notes, which include hand-written revisions.

Ford’s speech notes go through a significant amount of economic data, woven between his comments about the blossoming then pre-HUD Code mobile home industry.

Then President Ford’s speech positions the next section of praise following part of his address that focused on balancing the budget.

Then, as now, there is a need to control federal housing costs. The common-sense solution, then and now, is to let as much of that be done by private enterprise. Federal policy should be used to support solutions, rather than be an obstacle for private industry, in this case, the factory-built home industry.

“I have noted with great interest the bill introduced by Lou Frey of Florida…,” Ford said. That bill would eventually become the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974. “I am sure that each and every one of you shares Lou Frey’s concerns and respect his motivation,” Ford stated.

“What’s the outlook for the mobile home industry? It can only be described as bright. My information is that production now is running at an annual rate of nearly 700,000—and that is a fantastic figure for what really is a still a very young industry.” It should be noted that mobile home shipments never broke 600,000 units in a year, but the way that then-President Ford described it is akin to what today would be called the “Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate” or SAAR, used in conventional housing as well as with HUD Code manufactured homes. That SAAR may indeed, during that time of year, have been at a near 700,000 annual rate.

It is important to note again why the Daily Business News recently spotlighted the story of Rollohome. In short order, that firm went from start-up to 60,000 new homes shipped in just 2 years. If that was achievable then, surely it can be done with our greater technology today? For more on that, readers can circle back later to the linked report, below.

Ford pointed to the VA program, and how it was modified to support financing of manufactured homes for veterans.

Then, it was Vietnam, but more recently, Afghanistan and Iraq are among the places that millions of veterans have served.

Ford’s logic of supporting the factory-built home industry applies today, as it did then. It is one of several reasons that MHProNews has supported editorially common-sense, sustainable tweaks to FHA, VA, USDA (Rural Housing) and the lending programs that GSEs are supposed to be providing via their Congressionally mandated Duty to Serve (DTS) manufactured housing. One such related report is linked below, and can be read later for more insights.

“As you know, Congress in 1970 approved a law letting the Veterans Administration guarantee loans on mobile homes, as well as on the lots to place them on,” Ford’s speech-notes said.

Ford apologized for the “red tape connected with…” the VA program, a reminder that then and now, legislation is the start of a process, not the end. “The VA mobile home program has fallen far short of its goals. But it is now picking up. In recent weeks VA officials have conferred with mobile home manufacturers and dealers and with money lenders. They want to make the program go,” Ford explained.

“But VA officials are doing everything they can to promote the mobile home loan guarantee program, and it is beginning to accelerate,’ said Ford, adding “Of the 5,460 mobile home loans guaranteed by the VA last year, 4,178 were to post-Korean vets.”

“You are entrepreneurs in the best tradition of the free enterprise system.”

“I say the future of your industry is bright because you’ve got a lot going for you. Mobile homes are the only low cost new homes available,” then President Ford said. “The cost of producing stick-built housing has risen dramatically. At the same time, with your assembly line methods, you are doing something to lick high housing costs—and it is the mobile home purchaser who benefits.”

That same point applies then and now. It is once more worth noting that President Donald J. Trump worked an example of factory-home building into a speech featured by the Daily Business News, at the link below, which can be referenced later for more insights.

“I am not here to promote the sale of mobile homes,” Ford said, so that he didn’t sound like he was a pitch-man for the industry.

“But there is no question that the mobile home industry holds revolutionary potential for future advancement in the field of housing. Mobile homes have become a major segment of the nation’s housing supply. They are here to stay,” said Ford to finish is speech.

Tony Takeaways

The word “tony” can be a word or a name. As a word, tony can mean “elegant, stylish, fashionable.” It’s also the name of your award-winning manufactured home industry veteran, writer, industry consultant, and publisher.

There are many reasons this speech of President Gerald R. Ford still matters today.

President Ford was arguably correct on several points, which applied then and now. They include, but aren’t limited to:

Presidents Nixon and Ford are among those who specifically praised the value of the mobile home industry – which is what the industry was, prior to the passage of the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards – in solving the nation’s affordable housing needs.

HUD Secretary Ben Carson, Vice President Mike Pence, and President Donald J. Trump have all praised either manufactured homes specifically, and/or factory-built homes in general. Danny Ghorbani, and MHARR President and CEO Mark Weiss, JD, have both cited the opportunity the industry has with this administration (see the video, below.)

Ford was correct in saying that problems must be identified and understood, before they can be tackled and resolved. Editorially, MHProNews has advocated a pragmatic, reality-based approach to problem solving. The industry must separate the unhealthy chaff from the fine wheat.

Then and now, federal access to financing options that level the playing field were important.

More affordable manufactured home owners would mean more Americans who aren’t renting or getting housing subsidies.

Millions of more manufactured home owners would mean millions of more Americans building equity and personal wealth.

Unlike rentals, a manufactured home loan can over time be paid off. Once a home is mortgage-free, maintenance, insurance, utilities, and taxes are all that remains, so that’s as inexpensive as modern living costs can possible get.

Building more manufactured homes would mean more good jobs.

From the federal budget perspective, millions of more manufactured homes would mean fewer people depending taxpayer subsidized housing, and/or other programs.

Ford proved to be correct about the “revolutionary potential for future advancement in the field of housing” about the evolution of the industry from the mobile home era to the modern manufactured homes today. Factory-home-building made sense then, and now.

Enforcement of existing laws are a key, including the enhanced preemption provided by the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000.

President Ford recognized that the MH industry is necessary. It is currently underperforming, as the chart below reflects.

What was accomplished previously in sustainable shipment levels, can clearly be done again.

The industry’s professionals and investors must grasp the tremendous opportunities, vs. the realities to be dealt with. The challenges to the industry are both from within the industry, and from the ranks of the ill-informed naysayers outside our industry too.

For those who wonder if the Trump Administration is serious about enforcing laws, a $1.2 billion dollar settlement should put that question to rest.

“U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson…announced a historic agreement with the nation’s largest public housing authority to correct dangerous lead-based paint and other health and safety hazards,” HUD said in a release to the Daily Business News.

“HUD, the Justice Department, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached a Consent Decree with New York City and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) to resolve widespread issues of lead, mold, pest infestations and other inadequate housing conditions. Read theFederal Complaintand the Consent Decree filed today in federal District Court for the Southern District of New York.”

Note that some of these listed items are similar to concerns raised by the Chattanooga Times Free Press with respect to allegations about Tom Lackey, still shown today as a SECO board member.

The HUD statement is focused on resident health issues. Isn’t that a flare for those who engage in questionable behavior by selling pre-owned homes to consumers with similar, known, problematic issues?

More from HUD, Secretary Carson

The following is an extended quote from HUD to the Daily Business News regarding the consent decrees.

“More than 400,000 residents live in NYCHA properties, exceeding the number of residents living in the next ten largest public housing authorities combined. In addition to the agreement announced today, New York State placed NYCHA under a state of emergency order in April and is committing up to $550 million to assist the public housing authority in resolving health and safety issues.

Dr. Ben Carson, HUD Secretary, official photo.

“This historic agreement marks a new era for New York City’s public housing, one that puts families and their children first,” said HUD Secretary Carson. “New York City and New York State are making an unprecedented commitment to put NYCHA on a new path. The cooperation of Federal, State and city officials will vastly improve the living conditions for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who call NYCHA home.”

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated: “NYCHA’s failure to provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing is simply unacceptable, and illegal. Children must be protected from toxic lead paint, apartments must be free of mold and pest infestations, and developments must provide adequate heat in winter and elevator service. NYCHA has put its residents at risk. Today’s unprecedented settlement will improve life for the 400,000 residents who call NYCHA home, while ensuring accountability, reform, and oversight at this troubled institution.”

HUD’s Principal Deputy Inspector General Helen M. Albert said: “We are proud of the integral work that the OIG staff performed which led to today’s settlement. This represents a consequential partnership with the U.S. Attorney and others to ensure that those who reside in NYCHA housing will do so in safe and sanitary conditions.”

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said: “Instead of protecting children from lead poisoning, NYCHA systematically violated EPA and HUD lead paint safety regulations and covered up its noncompliance. Today’s landmark settlement puts a stop to that. It is not only a great example of what EPA and HUD can achieve by working together, but it also sends a strong message to housing authorities, landlords, and renovators – violating the law and endangering public health will not be tolerated. This agreement will dramatically improve the living conditions of New York City’s most vulnerable residents.”

In addition to annual public housing capital funding from HUD, New York City will provide the following financial investment to support NYCHA under this agreement:

$1 billion in capital funding over the first four years of the agreement;

$200 million in capital funding each year after the initial four-year period;

Additional operating and capital funds through 2027; and

The City will continue its current practice of not seeking payments from NYCHA for ‘payments in lieu of taxes’ and police services.

Working with the court-appointed Monitor, NYCHA will also institute a number of institutional changes at the agency. These changes include the creation of a new Compliance Department to ensure NYCHA meets all federal, state and local regulatory requirements and ensures the integrity of physical inspections. NYCHA will also create a new Environmental Health and Safety Department to address lead-based paint hazards, mold, heating, pests, elevators, air quality and other physical conditions that affect residents’ health or safety. In addition, NYCHA will create a Quality Assurance Unit to verify the completion and quality of maintenance work.

The Consent Decree resolves the Federal government’s civil complaint against NYCHA. As a result of the agreement, HUD will lift it’s ‘zero threshold’ for NYCHA and allow the agency to resume spending its existing public housing capital funding without seeking prior HUD approval. This year alone, HUD is providing NYCHA nearly $1.5 billion to further assist the agency to meet its capital needs and to operate its programs.

—- End of extended quoted from HUD statement. —-

With respect to the Lackey/SECO controversy, and its significance to MHVille. It should be noted that some SECO members and COBA7 “Allanites” have contacted MHProNews to point out that most communities don’t engage in such problematic behavior.

We’d note that those statements are true, and fit with what MHProNews has reported and stated editorially.

We’ve been encouraging for some time the separation of the “chaff and wheat” approach. No one is perfect. But at the same time, the industry ought to defend its image by enforcing a reasonable, fair-to-all code of conduct.

“The System has been Rigged,” the 45th President of the United States (POTUS), Donald J. Trump, has said. He understands these realities.

POTUS Trump undertook to break the grip of those who’ve rigged the free markets that harm the opportunities, and diminish the dignity of tens of millions in our Republic.

That’s a worthy topic to consider on Flag Day, which happens to be the President’s, and this writer’s, birthday.

Millions have been misled by flawed education, and agenda-driven opinions masquerading as facts or news.

Dignity flows from many factors, including:

the pride of work,

rising earnings,

maximum opportunities,

innovation,

enriching human relationships,

the spiritual life,

a growing net worth,

which can be fueled by the security, and pride of home ownership.

The bullets above yields a healthier society, happier people, and offers the additional benefit of reducing the costs for government at all levels.

Common Sense Solutions that Boost Wealth for Everyday Americans

Small-town business expert, talk radio host, and author Tom Egelhoff plus myself share some common beliefs. Those common principles caused us to do a joint article on how factory-crafted manufactured homes are a proven path to increased home ownership, that fuels the creation of more wealth for everyday Americans.

Egelhoff and myself also share a reason-based confidence in President Trump’s fine work on behalf of all Americans.

Tye explained that public housing – an entitlement – often yields addiction. Ownership vs. renting or living in “projects” leads to integrity, a view he likens to those of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Isn’t this part of the antidote to the t-word issue?

Someone making a basic wage is unable to buy the typical, conventional house in America.

But millions priced out of conventional housing can buy a manufactured home.

When millionaires and even billionaires own a manufactured home, the rest ought to consider its wisdom too. For example, POTUS Trump supporter and performer Kid Rock is one of those who owns a private jet, a Rolls Royce, and a manufactured home.

The Kid Rock video below uplifts – celebrates – those who own a lower cost house, be it a manufactured home, or an older conventional house. Note to parents with kids at hand: the video has some salty language and suggestive images. The video has had over 16.4 million views as of 6.14.2018.

Daily Business News on MHProNews sources tell us that Vice President Mike Pence understands first-hand the value of manufactured homes, which along with RVs, are produced in his home state of Indiana, and elsewhere from coast-to-coast.

America First, Economic Nationalism are Common Sense

Peace, prosperity and security are all supported by the president’s most recent deal on behalf of Americans, Koreans, the people of Asia, and the nation-states of the world.

“America First” is common sense.

Placing one’s homeland first is part of a new geopolitical framework the president is creating. It recognizes the inherent goodness of nationalism and cultural pride.

POTUS’ move away from globalism is a step toward the proven principles of solidarity, and subsidiarity.

Someday, historians may say that pragmatic economic nationalism, personal or cultural pride, solidarity, and subsidiarity are key contributions of what can be called “the Trump Doctrine.”

Tariffs and America First

There are elitists across the political spectrum that don’t understand, or won’t admit to, the fundamental common sense of economic tools such as tariffs.

By contrast, the president embraces their use.

When America was a young nation, tariffs protected our farmers and factories. Before the income tax, when the federal government was smaller, tariffs protected American jobs, plus paid much of the federal government’s expenses.

POTUS Trump no doubt knows what Pocket Sense expressed this way, “Prior to the passage of the 16th Amendment in 1913, the United States government funded its operations mainly through excise taxes, tariffs, customs duties and public land sales.”

Given the numerous scandals, millions of man-hours of lost time, plus other problems with the current income tax system, is the president leading America back to the future by using tariffs in strategic ways?

One doesn’t always know what the president’s next move is. Are his threatened use of tariffs also a possible signal for something else in the future? Would this president at some point take on a reform of the U.S. income tax system, which Steve Forbes, and others say is massively wasteful? Image credit, Prager U.

Using their $2 Trillion potential GDP growth statistic, if existing federal laws were being robustly enforced, the economy could experience a largely unsubsidized jolt that could create even more good jobs.

POTUS Trump understands from his professional experiences that factory home building can create entry-level to elegant homes.

At the time Belsky made this prediction, manufactured homes were selling over 250,000 new units per year. What happened? Smoking Gun 3 spells it out.

From Operation Breakthrough in the 1970s, to Harvard’s Eric Belsky in the early 2000s, the potential for the manufactured homes that HUD Secretary Ben Carson called “Amazing!” to fuel the American Dream is real.

Enforcement of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 – which includes enhanced preemption – utilizes principles the president grasps from his myriad of professional experience.

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Mandating the robust enforcement of the Duty to Serve Manufactured Housing that the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 required would also aid the process. Leveling the playing field via regulatory tweaks across FHA, VA, and the USDA (Rural Housing) loan programs for manufactured homes in both fee simple and home only scenarios would too.

The New York Times and MHProNews surveys both suggested that manufactured home owners were among the once “forgotten Americans” who supported President Trump.

Those home owners deserve the dignity and respect of being manufactured home owners.

A simple president tweet in support of those manufactured home owners could be a useful step to restoring their dignity, often robbed by elitists politicos whos slammed them as deplorables.

Enhanced preemption, education on the realities of manufactured homes vs. the myths, and proper lending access could transform America in short order.

That can be done via enforcement of existing law. It would cost very little to the federal or local governments. It would increase the property tax base. It would increase the net worth of Americans.

God is modest, and the Creator understands the notion of saving the best for last. The American Dream is tied up with faith, flag, family, and fortune. Hebrew and Christian Scriptures prove that the Ten Commandments protect private property.

President Trump’s taking action that protects faith communities, defending the use of the phrase merry Christmas, and protect Life, Liberty, and Property are Godly principles.

These are all concepts worth to reflect on this day, and every day.

Our sincere thanks for the president’s many successes to date.

Here’s to more, and a heartful happy birthday wish to President Donald J. Trump. Please continue your work at making America ever greater, all for the benefit of restoring the dignity and opportunities of Americans first. ## (Coaching tips, marketing, sales, and management news.)

(Third party images, and content are provided under fair use guidelines.)

Many if not most of those so-called MHAction protestors were not manufactured home residents.

But where did MHAction come from? What is the origin of their funding? Are there possible silver linings from the headlines they grabbed?

The Washington Post’s recent report on manufactured housing (MH) is part of the useful lens used to pull back the curtain on what MHAction billed as anti-an HUD Secretary Ben Carson, anti-MH industry protests.

MHLivingNews’ report spotlights the praise for the quality of the industry’s homes, by contrasting it against the protesters who themselves said that they tried to disrupt the Manufactured Housing Institute’s (MHI) final planned Las Vegas meeting.

Industry professionals are wise to keep in mind that these anti-business protesters ties to radical groups, revealed by the report linked below.

What could all of those individual topics in the headline possibly have in common? What could each of those current events mean to manufactured housing professionals, owners, investors and advocates?

Plenty.

Here’s the quick rundown. The glue for each are the two words, “first principles.” Let’s look…

The Kanye Controversy

Kanye West and Candace Owens where highlighted just days ago on the Daily Business News. One week after West’s remarks lit up mainstream news and social media, a new poll reveals that black male support for President Donald J. Trump has doubled.

That African American support doubled in a single week.

Black support is still low, but that doubling is enough to put the 2018 midterms back into play as a jump ball.

Remember that the Daily Business News used the internals of a New York Times poll in 2016 to predict that the small drift of blacks they noted toward the Trump campaign would be enough in states like North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Recall how that turned out?

The Daily Business News has periodically mentioned the meltdown of socialist Venezuela. A headline in Drudge today says that inflation in Venezuela has now quadrupled to 18,000 percent, in just two months. By contrast, “The current inflation rate for the United States is 2.4% for the 12 months ended March 2018,” per U.S. Inflation Calculator.

Venezuela voted in socialists spouting utopian promises about a decade ago. That proud land has gone from one of the stronger South American economies, turning into a basket-case where people are starving, and are now being politically oppressed.

The Daily Business News has also reported on the rising poll numbers of socialists in the U.S.

Socialistic economics has not worked in Venezuela. It didn’t work in Greece, which the European Union bailed out. China is still communist but has turned to a more market economic system with less regulations.

Do you see the pattern?

No matter how much you like someone who is a preaching a socialistic economic approach, why trust or listen to them, when the clear pattern is one of repeated failure?

President Donald J. Trump

Keep in mind, editorially we are about principles over party labels. There is no doubt that the president has said and done things that get people across the spectrum stirred up. MHProNews hears from those voices who complain about some tweet or remark about a controversial issue regularly.

A caller into a talk radio show observed that President of the United States (POTUS) Donald J. Trump is both “Democratic and Republican.” That’s truer that it may seem at first blush.

POTUS Trump has a position in common with Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) – trade and job protectionism.

POTUS is concerned over monopolistic impact over America’s economy and jobs. On that, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and right leaning Steve Bannon and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), and the president all hold common ground.

On the southern border, former AZ sheriff Joe Arpaio and the president find common ground. On peace through strength, the president looks like a Republican hawk; but he wants out of the Middle East as quickly as possible, a point he shares with libertarian leaning Senator Rand Paul (R-KY).

About 2 years ago, this independent MH industry writer and publication promoted President Trump for the White House. It was picked up by thousands of sites, including the Trump for President campaign site.

While the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) paid for two pro-Clinton speakers in the closing days before the 2016 election, the Kovach family supported Donald J. Trump’s candidacy as the best for the industry, small business and hundreds of millions of Americans. One of those stories ended up on the president’s campaign website, and hundreds of conservative and pro-Trump websites.

The takeaway or principle involved? Turn down the noise and the drama, focus on the goal and results over the style. MHProNews predicted that based upon Mr. Trump’s stated platform, he would be good for business, the economy, jobs, wages, and manufactured housing.

The results?

Based upon survey after survey and reams of economic data, so far, so good.

Like Kanye, it’s about looking at what works instead of being distracted by what may be politically incorrect. Even Kanye’s wife – Kim Kardashian – has provided some distance between herself and her mate on the POTUS Trump question. Hmmm…

But results matter.

Black, and Hispanic unemployment are at historic lows. And female unemployment is near a two-decade low.

One principle involved is this, and everyone’s heard it. The popular definition of insanity is to keep doing the same things the same way, and expect a different result. To H-E double LL with following that pattern any longer, within or beyond of MHVille.

From Presidents Clinton, both Bushes, or Obama, there have been some common – and flawed – stances. It was time for a new approach, based upon sound first principles.

First Principles

Curating principles from clear-thinkers likeThomas Sowell, we’ve promoted what will work for the vast majority of the industry and millions of our potential and actual customers. We reject controversy for its own sake, but we do nut shun a controversial stance, if it is based upon reason and facts over emotion and rhetoric.

First principles matter. Principles like, G. K. Chesterton’s pithy, “What’s wrong is that we don’t ask what’s right.” Or that the lessons of history, faith and reason matter. Of course they count.

Promises Made, Promises Kept

What may have seemed like madness two years ago in our campaign coverage and support is part of our pledge to carefully curate news topics that matter. The manufactured home (MH) industry slid from a 1998 high of 372,000+ shipments to a low eleven years later of under 50,000 shipments.

The last twenty years have included most of the worst years of MH industry performance, even though manufactured housing quality is widely seen as the best ever. Those facts clearly point to unresolved problems that must be addressed.

As an industry, manufactured home professionals and investors can’t afford to make more big mistakes.

The Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) has time and again talked a great game. But counting emails, Facebook likes, or waving their hands high with “razzle dazzle” doesn’t change how often they have factually gotten it wrong time and again. If they were so right, why are shipments still so historically low?

Do you want positive results, or do you want style with no delivery? Take your pick.

Prominent MHI leadership promoted Secretary Hillary Clinton over candidate Donald Trump. Clinton wanted heavy regulations, President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence promised – and are delivering – one prudent regulatory rollbacks. There are more and more who see that’s a clear disconnect, how about you?

As the president and VP have both said, “Promises Made, Promises Kept.” The Heritage Foundation score sounds high, but that organization said that the Trump Administration has already fulfilled over 60 percent of its campaign promises in just 15 months. If Heritage is right, that means the less than 40 percent of those campaign promises are left to go.

GDP is rising

Unemployment is falling

Peace through strength is underway, and seems to be moving in a positive way by largely defeating ISIS in Syria and Iraq, and in tough stances and actions with North Korea. Is Iran next? Time will tell. But history reminds us that Nevil Chamberlin, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama’s efforts at appeasement have all failed. By contrast, Ronald Reagan’s peace through strength with the former USSR worked. Appeasement or strength. Take your pick.

Presidents Kennedy (D) and Reagan (R) cut taxes, and spurred the economy. High taxes and sluggish growth, or lower taxes and more common sense regulations that yields more opportunities and jobs. Take your pick.

There’s plenty of good, but there are also storm clouds. Too much automation, and robotics – notably by monopolistic companies – are destroying jobs. Right now, more are being created than are being lost. But if the monopolies aren’t broken up, then new business and new job creation will be stifled and will eventually stall out.

So the good work is underway, but the fight for a brighter future is far from over.

Winners and Losers

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) – which includes hundreds of manufactured housing businesses – and the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) have a much better track record that MHI on picking winning positions good for business and consumers alike.

Why?

Because they are operating under several proven “first principles.”

Among them?

Limited government,

with sound but limited regulation and

lower taxes will work better than;

heavy taxes, and heavy regulation both of which kills jobs, because it will drive businesses overseas. Giant Amazon just announced they are de facto working to force its will on Seattle on their latest tax to create housing proposal. Monopolistic power forcing its will on a proven failure, another socialistic concept. It’s a classic case where both parties are wrong.

Some – a minority – say they don’t want to read about concerns regarding monopolistic allegations, or who don’t want to read about weaponized MHI news delivered directly or through their surrogates. We understand that those are uncomfortable topics. But when operations or third parties outside of MHVille – from across the political spectrum – point to the same problems and issues, why should we as trade publishers ignore it?

So as a first principles analogy, cancer is uncomfortable too, and sometimes the doctor has to tell the patient bad news. Hopefully, a troubling diagnosis is followed by a treatment plan that is proven to work.

Our site statistics prove that those ‘controversial stories’ about MHI and Berkshire Hathaway, et al, are at or near the top among the most read.

Speaking of site statistics, in case you missed it (ICYMI), check out the related report, linked below. The third-party data proves that MHI is dropping, and MHProNews is growing. Hint. We’re winning.

“The [association] efforts have come as [Trump]administration officials are embracing manufactured homes as a way to increase the stocks of affordable housing using the private sector rather than taxpayer funding,” writes Juliet Eilperin, for the Washington Post (WaPo).

“Already, they[manufactured homes] serve as the largest source of unsubsidized affordable housing in America, with 22 million Americans living in structures ranging from trailers[*] to high-end homes with ample amenities,” Eilperin said.

“Juliet Eilperin is The Washington Post’s senior national affairs correspondent, covering how the new administration is transforming a range of U.S. policies and the federal government itself,” reads her brief WaPo bio. “She is the author of two books — one on sharks and another on Congress, not to be confused with each other — and has worked for The Post since 1998.”

The Washington Post is owned by Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man, according to Forbes. Billionaires Bezos and President Donald J. Trump have been sparring over issues related to giant Amazon, which Bezos founded. Their politics differ too.

“For most of its existence, the Office of Manufactured Housing has been an unassuming office within a federal department not known for its glitz and glamour,” said Eilperin.

“But the little-known agency in the Department of Housing and Urban Development has been thrust into the spotlight as trade groups mount an unusually intense lobbying effort, seeking to scale back regulations that they say are hampering an industry that could provide a market-based solution to the affordable housing crisis,” said her insightful WaPo narrative.

“That the Trump Administration would be party to such an amazingly ill-considered, offensive and arguably scandalous action ... is directly contrary to president trump’s own pledge to ‘drain the swamp’ in Washington D.C.,” wrote Mark Weiss, president of the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform, in a July 27 letter [2017], which was unusually harsh even by Washington standards,” the narrative continued, revealing part of the backstory, as to which association did what in the drama that took place at HUD last year.

“Within a few months, Office of Manufactured Housing Programs Administrator Pamela Beck Danner had been reassigned, and the woman she had hired, Lois Starkey, had been terminated,” Eilperin said.

“Lesli Gooch, vice president of government affairs and chief lobbyist for the institute, said in an interview...[that] her association [the Manufactured Housing Institute, or MHI] did not weigh in on Danner’s reassignment, preferring to push for a broader reorganization.”

First Takeaways from the Washington Post MH Report

Eilperin has arguably done thousands of manufactured housing industry professionals, and potentially millions of Americans, several significant favors through her tightly-written narrative.

Among them? Eilperin confirmed the following:

Lesli Gooch admits that MHI did not try to get Pam Danner removed from her destructive role as administrator over the HUD Code manufactured housing program office. Put multiple stars next to that revelation, and keep in mind that HUD Secretary Ben Carson called the regulations “ridiculous.”

Between the two national associations, the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) was credited for their part in having Danner removed from her ‘leadership’ as the administrator of the HUD Code Manufactured Housing Program Office.

The above portion of the WaPo story confirms months of reports by MHProNews. Specifically, that in spite of the call by numerous manufactured home industry pros, MHI’s own chief lobbyist admitted to the mainstream media that they did not attempt to have Danner removed.

Rephrasing, MHI was tacitly abetting Danner’s stay at HUD’s MH program office. Where was the logic in that for the majority of the manufactured housing industry? Over 17 years of experience since the passage of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 should have made it clear that the administrator of the program can implement, or foil, the intent of the law. Don’t MHI staffers know that history? Isn’t that self-evident logic, even absent that history?

MHI was clearly going against the wishes of the majority of the industry, which wanted to see Danner removed, see one of several examples of that in a report, linked here.

MHI and MHARR, Follow Ups

MHI has been asked to confirm, comment on, or clarify this Washington Post report. They have not yet done so as of this time.

MHARR issued a clarifying statement to their members and the industry in a release to the Daily Business News, after the online version if the WaPo report was published. That MHARR memo is linked below.

More will follow in the days ahead as the Daily Business News unpacks numerous revelations found in Eilperin’s insightful mainstream media reporting.

Keep in mind that the Washington Post just confirmed what some thought to be MHProNews’ controversial reports in 2017. The WaPo report vindicates MHProNews, which MHI operatives and surrogates have allegedly sought to undermine. Indeed, the revelations above arguably suggest why MHI has sought to undermine this pro-industry trade news operation.

The Washington Post has run a print and online article about the HUD Code manufactured housing program, HUD Secretary Ben Carson, Pam Danner, Lois Starkey, the industry’s national trade associations, and manufactured homes in general. That story, is linked here.

In a release do the Daily Business News on MHProNews, the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform has issued the following release. Their release is shown verbatim, below.

WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE ON HUD MH PROGRAM

The photo and logo have been added by the Daily Business News, and where not part of their release.

“The Washington Post has published an article (see, copy attached) concerning the HUD manufactured housing program and MHARR’s efforts in 2017 to change the leadership of the program in order to comply with applicable federal law.

Although the article is self-explanatory, an important point that I stressed in speaking with the author does not stand-out in the article – i.e., that MHARR’s principal objective is to seek, compel and ensure full HUD compliance with all applicable federal laws relating to manufactured home production and, conversely, to oppose deviations from applicable law that could harm either producers or consumers. Thus, insofar as the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 requires the appointment of a non-career administrator for the manufactured housing program in order to ensure both visibility, responsiveness and accountability, MHARR has consistently sought and demanded a proper appointee in accordance with that law.

In accordance with this fundamental mandate and mission, MHARR will continue to seek the full and proper implementation of the 2000 reform law with Trump Administration officials at HUD, including but not limited to: (1) the appointment of a non-career program administrator; (2) full utilization of the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee (MHCC) in accordance with the 2000 reform law (including proper collective representation of the industry); (3) repeal of HUD’s unlawful 2010 “Interpretive Rule” on section 604(b)(6) of the 2000 reform law, and the full implementation of that section to require prior MHCC review and full rulemaking for all changes to HUD procedures and practices regarding enforcement and/or “monitoring;” (4) the solicitation and selection of a new program monitoring contractor – in accordance with the 2000 reform law’s definition of “monitoring” – based on full and fair competition; and (5) completion and implementation of the “top-to-bottom” program regulatory reform review currently underway at HUD pursuant to Executive Orders 13771 and 13777.”

NOTICE: Exclusives from HUD, and Attendees about Secretary Carson’s comments at MHI will be part of an upcoming report. Sign up for our emailed news updates for that notice, and to stay up with all of the industry’s most popular, independent, and fact-based converge. ## (News, analysis and commentary.)